Electroinitiated copolymerization of indene with β-methoxystyrene

Electroinitiated copolymerization of indene with β-methoxystyrene was carried out at 0°C and five different potentials. Monomer consumption was studied by cyclic voltammetry. It is known that, when the difference between oxidation potentials of two monomers is large, polymerization potential affects copolymer composition. In the present study indene and β-methoxystyrene were selected because their oxidation potentials are almost equal, ca. + 1.40 V. The effect of polymerization potential on copolymer composition was studied. The copolymer composition did not change with polymerization potential, a novel result, for these monomers with almost equal oxidation peak potentials. The total reacted monomer concentration did not change with polymerization potential either. The amount of precipitated polymer, however, increased with polymerization potential.